Worlds Apart
by Shadowed Secrets
Summary: Set before and during Episode 80 of Queer as Folk, Pittsburgh, two friends find their worlds torn apart by Proposition 14.


**Worlds Apart**

_Set before and during Episode 80 of Queer as Folk, Pittsburgh, two friends find their worlds torn apart by Proposition 14. Title inspired by song written by Roger Miller for the Broadway Musical 'Big River: The Story of Huckleberry Finn.' _

**Chapter 1**

David ran as fast as he could through the hallways of his Pittsburgh high school, bent on getting to his destination. He licked his ebony lips as he ran up the stairs onto the second floor, his bald head shining even in the weather that a Pittsburgh winter offered. He stopped as he exited the stairway to see five guys with football jerseys on pushing a boy around in a circle, laughing at him, as he went round and round and a crowd behind them mostly laughing, pitying the poor soul.

"Come on you little faggot," One of them remarked. "Fight back, or are you too much of a pussy?"

"Since he doesn't _fuck_ a pussy, he must _be_ pussy!" Another exclaimed, passing him to another guy.

"If faggots ruled the world, it'd be one 'pussified' nation." The one that had just received the boy commented.

"Well get back to reality," David said standing by a locker. "Guys like you are the real pussies."

The blonde-haired jock turned to face David, annoyed, his eye twitching. "Look guys, the faggot has a new boyfriend."

"Leave me alone, Manny." The boy in distress managed to say.

"Shut up, worm. You act like your little boyfriend is going to save you."

"That's not the only thing I'll be saving, today, _Manny_. I'm going to give you the chance to get your sorry butt out of here, and take your gangbang buddies with you." David replied coolly.

Manny looked at David then back at his friends, holding the boy they had just bullied in their hands. "Let him go." Manny got in David's face. He stood three-inches taller than the 5'9 boy, and even though David himself had muscle, nothing could compare to the muscle of the football player before him. "You know for the new kid, you have a lot of nerve."

"You've got a lot of nerve to bully anybody not your size."

"Pussies like them shouldn't defend themselves." Manny replied. "They should all just hurry up, contract AIDS and die, every last one of them."

"Then they don't need your help to do so." David hissed. "They're not the only ones that could die of AIDS. Check your cheerleaders, I suggest extra protection." Patting Manny on the shoulder, he passed him and stood before the other four football players. "Leave."

Grumbling, the four other football players left, making remarks as they followed Manny down the stairway. The crowd dispersed and as it did, three teachers, two male, one female were left. They nonchalantly asked if everything was alright. David disliked the teachers in the new school he was at. If it was a straight geek being terrorized then they'd be willing to step in, but because it was a homosexual, they just waited for a fight to break out before even wanting to blow a whistle. They left with saying, "Make sure he buttons up his shirt, he's violating dress code."

David picked the boy's books up and handed it to him. "You'd think they would win a game to earn more credibility." He smiled, showing the whites of his teeth. The bell rang and classes began switching. "Well one more period of the day, don't worry." David said to the silent boy leaning on a locker. David was not expecting a thank you, just any sign that the boy was okay and not shaken up.

His shoes seemed okay, just scuffed by people stepping on them, but whose wasn't? His jeans, tight and torn, but that was the style nowadays. His red shirt was ripped open and it seemed that the buttons were ripped right out of their place. The boy's abdomen was shown, but everything seemed to be alright there. The boy's face was untouched. It seemed he was alright, but his eyes were distressed. A mix of anger and sadness was seen in those cerulean blue eyes. He was choking back tears, and as he felt the lump in his throat grow bigger, he fixed his misplaced, jet black hair by running his hand through it.

"Well, I got to get to class." David finally said as he looked at his watch. "I hope you're alright." David, almost losing himself in the crowd, turned to see that the boy had disappeared. Shrugging it off, he rushed to what he thought would be the fastest way to class.

---

"Crap," the boy mumbled under his breath. He looked at the doorknob before turning into the classroom as the teacher was calling roll.

"Bruckner, Hunter... oh yes, I forgot." The woman said to herself. Looking up to the boy edging his way to the back of the room, she smirked and called out, "King, David?"

"Here," David said taking an empty seat in the row second to the last near the wall he was walking on.

"You have one more time to be late to my class Mr. King before I have to actually start counting of towards detentions."

"Sorry, I still don't know my way around." David apologized.

"He can find faggots pretty easily." A boy across the room shouted. The class was in uproar and the teacher demanded their attention and began the English class.

David wished he was near the front of the classroom. He was seven rows back and in the first column, so neither was he in a place where could pay attention, he wasn't centered at the blackboard where he preferred to be. The teacher began writing the thematic teachings of the semester on the board. David quickly took out two sheets of paper and began copying word for word if the teacher's lecture.

David was a good student. He was hopeful and bright-eyed and even in this new school, he was slowly adjusting. As he continued writing he felt eyes being fixed on him. More precisely, one pair of eyes, sitting beside him. How he felt it, he did not know but it seemed like those eyes were calling to him.

David looked over and there beside him was the boy from earlier he had stood up for. David became uneasy and discomfited. Here he was being stared down by a person he did not even know. David already thought as to why he was being stared out. Maybe the boy was angry for being perceived as a wimp, maybe it was his way of saying thank you or maybe it was...

"Yeah, I'm checking you out." The boy whispered as if he was hearing David's thoughts.

David didn't even look at him, he tried to focus on the lecture his teacher was so entranced giving. He had gotten in his favorite part of literature class; theology and mythology. However, the boy was still staring at David hardly even blinking.

"Jonathan, are you paying any attention to this?" the teacher shouted. His name was Jonathan; the black-haired, blue-eyed, boy's name was Jonathan. David noted it in his mind and continued listening to the lecture, taking notes and digesting what the woman was saying to the class.

Not before long, the bell rang and school was out for the day. Slowly, David picked up his books and adjusted himself to leave unknowing that Jonathan had adjusted his own speed so they might leave together. As David left Jonathan yelled out, "Wait up" and so David did.

---

Outside the high school, the boys walked silently off school grounds. "Thanks for today." Jonathan said smiling at the other. "You're my knight in shining armor."

"Don't mention it," David said coolly. "I do what's right."

"There are not many black people at this school, what made you come here?" Jonathan asked.

"Is that how you make conversation, ask why a black person now goes to your school?" David asked sarcastically.

Jonathan sighed and answered, "Sorry. It just isn't common. So where'd you come from, why are you here?"

"I answered that yesterday in English class." David replied looking straight ahead of him.

"I wasn't here; I had a doctor's appointment." Jonathan explained. "Some things will make you want to stay home for a while especially Manny and his crew. Ever since the AIDS scare a couple weeks ago, a lot of us have been... targeted."

"Oh I'm sorry." David said sympathetically.

"Do you want to go someplace, before going home? I could show you around." Jonathan offered. "I know this great diner on Liberty Avenue."

David sighed heavily and looked Jonathan in the eye. "Look, I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I didn't do what I did today for the reason you probably think I did it. I did what was right and that's it."

"I don't expect you to like me off the bat." Jonathan told him.

"No, you don't get it." David said chuckling. "I won't be liking you at all." David knew he confused Jonathan by the perplexed look on his face. "I'm not gay." David watched as Jonathan gulped in surprise. "I'll see you tomorrow in English."

"He's not gay." Jonathan whispered to himself. "He's not gay."


End file.
